Gopher & Vole Control

Getting Rid of Gophers: How To Get Rid of Gophers and Voles

Gophers are small burrowing rodents which live underground and feed on plants. There are two main species of gophers which are found in North America – the Richardsons ground squirrel and the pocket gopher, but there are over 100 types in the Unites States alone. Gophers have long front teeth, tiny ears, small eyes, and short tails. They can grow up to five to ten inches long and weigh between half a pound to a pound and sometimes more; and typically have brown soft and fine fur. Gophers primarily eat plants and their root systems, which is why gardeners dislike them so much.

Voles are another type of small rodent that resemble mice because they are about the same size, but with shorter tails, smaller ears and eyes, and rounded molars. There are about 155 species of voles and are sometimes known as meadow or field mice in North America. Voles do burrow under plants to expose and eat the roots, and also dig shallow underground borrows. They also create runways in tall grasses and vegetation which allows them to move quickly over the ground. Voles eat mostly plants and roots, and also eat dead animals, nuts, fruits.

Gophers and voles are a serious nuisance to yards, and especially gardens. Gophers can feast on a garden and destroy all of the plants in a matter of days. The amount of destruction a single gopher can cause can be quite impressive. This is because gophers do not eat everything as they go. They will store roots and plant materials in their cheeks and take it back to their burrows and hoard it. They systematically chew off roots and plant material, take it back for safe-keeping, and then go back for more! Gophers burrow complex underground tunnel systems, and use their front legs and teeth to push dirt out of their tunnels and onto the ground above. These mounds of dirt are a tell-tale sign of a gopher problem. Voles can also wreak havoc on a landscape because of their sheer numbers. Voles can have a population of up to 500 per acre!

Since gophers and voles can cause so much damage to yards and gardens (and even trees), they should be removed quickly, or you risk losing your entire harvest, or ruining your yard. There are a number of ways to get rid of gophers, and you can find all sorts of recommendations from trapping, to poisoning, drowning, smoking them out, using animal feces, chewing gum, and even using gas from a car exhaust. Some of the recommendations on how to get rid of gophers may even cause more harm to your yard than the gophers do. There are even stories of people filling up gopher burrows with propane gas and igniting it – kaboom! We do not recommend that!

Use Repellex Repellents to Get Rid of Gophers and Voles

The repellent experts at Repellex® prefer a more humane and natural solution to your problems with gophers, voles, and other burrowing pests. We have developed Repellex® Systemic Tablets, which deliver a concentrate of hot pepper straight to the plants’ roots that is absorbed at a molecular level. When gophers and voles try to eat the plant roots or material they are repulsed by the taste and do not eat the plants. These herbivores quickly learn that plants in your yard or garden taste terrible, and move on to another area with an edible food source.

Repellex® also offers a specific mole and gopher repellent to help you get rid of burrowing animals like moles, voles, and gophers. Repellex® gopher and mole repellent prevents these animals from digging up and destroying your lawn and garden by absorbing into the soil and forming a protective repellent coating that protects your plants from these pests. The Repellex® spray is absorbed and starts to work more quickly, and the granular product lasts longer. We recommend using the spray for the first application and then the granular for a longer lasting effect.

Repellex® repellent products are totally humane and safe because they do not kill or harm the animals they are meant to repel. Repellex® offers natural pest control solutions that keep your yard, garden, and plants safe. Our products will not only keep gophers, voles, and other pests from burrowing in your yard and eating your garden, they will also keep them away as they act as natural deterrents.

At Repellex® we pride ourselves on providing you with safe and effective interventions that will put an end to the headaches brought by animals and other pests that wander into your garden. No more worries about introducing toxins into your environment when you try to get rid of pesky pests and malicious animals. With our natural pest repellents, such as the gopher repellent product, you get something that work and work safely!